The Mystery That Started It All
by ElisabethCarter
Summary: Another version of the gang's first case together. Four teenagers and their dog stumble upon a mystery at an abandoned house. Will Mystery Inc. be able to uncover the truth or will a spooky ghost get to them? No relation to my other stories.Please Review!
1. Chapter 1

I know that there are a lot of other stories on here about how Mystery Inc. began, but I got this idea and felt the need to write it. As I mentioned in the summary, this story has absolutely no relation to anything else I've written. This story will contain Fraphne and Shelma in later chapters, so if you don't like either of these pairings, I suggest you find something else to read. If you have any brilliant suggestions while reading this story, feel free to tell me. I honestly have no idea how this story will end, so I'm open to new ideas.  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of Scooby-Doo.

_Chapter 1 Meeting Mystery Inc._

Daphne Blake, a wealthy girl of sixteen, sat in the backseat of her father's car. Jenkins, the family's butler, was driving Mr. Blake and Daphne to their new home in Coolsville, Ohio. It was a small town, one where everything would be completely boring, or so Daphne thought.

Mrs. Blake had died nearly a year earlier, leaving their old house in California feeling oddly empty. Eventually, the depression brought by living there grew to be too much for Mr. Blake. He found Coolsville, a random town where he was certain they would be able to move on. Daphne, however, didn't agree with this decision. She had no problem moving, but Ohio had not been her idea of an ideal place to start over. Consequently, she was in a terribly bad mood as they pulled up to the small mansion that would now be theirs to live in.

The house was nice, very elegant in appearance. The property around it was immense, nearly two acres of land. To the left, another wealthy person's home was situated, looking just as attractive as the Blake's. To the right, however, was a sight that looked completely out of place. It was a mansion, the same size as Daphne's. It's stone walls, rusted iron gate, and dark, sinister trees casting shadows over the grounds made this place look as if it had been taken directly out of a horror film. It was far away from their house, but the building still gave Daphne chills.

"See, Daph," her father said to her, "this place isn't so bad. We have a nice house; you'll go to a good school; everything will be fine." He looked at his daughter, who seemed to be agonized by all of this. "I know you think this is going to be boring, but I'm sure there are plenty of things to do here."

"Don't worry, Dad, I'll be totally fine," Daphne responded sarcastically. "How could anything possibly be boring when we're living next to a serial killer in a creepy old mansion?"

Mr. Blake glanced over at the eerie house to their right. "Yeah, that place is a bit spooky. But I'm sure it's abandoned so there's nothing to worry about."

Daphne rolled her eyes, fighting the urge to laugh at her father for taking her seriously. She flipped her strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder and walked into the house. Her footsteps echoed through the empty halls. In Daphne's opinion, this place was far too large for two people to live in, though this hadn't bothered her father. He had assured her that this purchase was necessary, claiming it would establish their rank in town.

Daphne sighed as she found her bedroom, everything already set up. She plopped down on the bed, dreading the following morning where she would have to start at Coolsville High. School had started a few months before, making her feel like an intruder about to enter their territory. She would be exiled, left out of all the cliques. That wasn't really an issue for Daphne, who preferred solitude anyway.

A few moments later, she fell into a troubled sleep, haunted by images of her mother, the dark house next door, and taunting laughs of peers whom she had never met. The next morning, Daphne awoke to a massive headache and deep fear for the day ahead of her.

"You must be Daphne Blake," a friendly woman greeted as Daphne stepped into the school's office. "Wait here for just a moment and I'll get Principal Martin." The squat lady stood from her desk and walked through a door. She emerged a moment later with a kind-looking man and a blonde boy who looked to be about Daphne's age.

"Now, Fred," the Principal said to the boy, "I don't want to hear about you cutting class again for the rest of the year. Do you understand me?" Fred nodded, his eyes glued to the floor. "Alright, instead of detention, you're going to work off this infraction by showing our new student around." He turned his attention to Daphne. "You must be Daphne Blake. I'm Principal Martin and this young man is Fred Jones, your guide for the first few weeks at Coolsville High. If you have any questions, you can ask either Fred or myself, though right now I'm afraid I must run off to a meeting."

Daphne smiled at the man politely as he exited the office. _What a load of bull shit_, she thought. _He doesn't care; nobody does_.

Fred looked up at Daphne at that moment and took in how attractive she actually was. Her blue eyes were narrowed into a glare, sparkling with intensity. Her soft orange hair was resting gently on her shoulders. "Hey," he said to her, putting on his flirtatious smile. Fred was the most popular boy in school, and it was easy to see why. His smile was breath-taking, as were his oceanic eyes. He was muscular, captain of the football team and everybody liked him.

Much to his surprise, Daphne rolled her eyes and walked away from him.

"Wait!" he called after her, his ego wounded slightly. "Okay, look, I'm sorry. Just let me see your schedule and I'll show you to your classes." She shoved her schedule at him, waiting as he read through the list. "Wow, we have everything together," Fred responded. He was quite pleased that they would be seeing a lot of each other, providing him with an ample opportunity to get her to fall for him, and he knew this would happen eventually because, when Fred wanted a girl, he got her. "Come on, I'll show you where our homeroom is."

As Daphne entered her homeroom, she was given a seat toward the back, Fred to her right. On the other side of her, a scrawny boy with messy brown hair was doodling in a notebook. Right in front of Daphne, a girl with short, dark hair and glasses had her nose buried in a very large book.

"Like, hi there," said the skinny kid next to her. He had lifted his head and was now staring at her. "I'm Shaggy Rogers."

Daphne smiled politely. "I'm Daphne Blake."

"Like, it's great to meet you," he responded, his voice cracking. Then, not knowing what else to say, Shaggy awkwardly returned to his drawings.

"Jinkies!" the small girl in front of Daphne cried, turning around. "You're the new student, right?" When Daphne nodded the nerd continued. "We don't get many new people here. I'm Velma Dinkley. It's a pleasure to meet you, Daphne."

"Nice to meet you, too, Velma," Daphne replied kindly.

It amazed her how people of the same age could all be so incredibly different. Fred was the popular jock; Shaggy was the friendless beatnik; Velma was the intelligent loner; and Daphne was the rich daddy's girl who wanted nothing more than to leave that place at once. She never would have guessed that these three people around her would become her friends for life.

* * *

I know that's a lame end to the chapter, but they can't all be cliff-hangers. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think. I promise it will get more interesting later. :)


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2 Legend of Sinclair_

After school that day, Daphne walked into the library, relieved to be away from the self-centered Fred Jones. He hadn't actually done anything to her, but the very thing he stood for - the unfair social heirarchy of high school - caused Daphne to essentially hate his guts, even if he did have an amazing smile. So, finally free from Fred, she walked toward the section marked "Mystery." One book in particular stood out: _Real Mysteries and Ghost Stories of Coolsville._

She sat down at a nearby table and, upon opening to a random page, Daphne found herself reading an article about an old mansion. It was the one that was located next to her new house. Before Daphne was able to read what secrets the building was hiding, she was distracted by a familiar voice.

"Sorry, I can't hang out tonight, guys," Fred told his friends who were waiting by the library entrance. "I have a ton of homework to do." With that, Fred walked toward the "Mystery" section, just as Daphne had done a few moments before. He didn't seem to see her, which was a good thing. Maybe she could get away while his attention was diverted. Something about the scene before her, however, caused Daphne to stay rooted in her seat. She hadn't imagined Fred as the type of guy who enjoyed reading mystery novels. He had obviously lied to his friends to spend some time alone with a good book, causing Daphne to realize that they may actually have this in common.

"Hi," Velma Dinkley said politely, sitting down across the table from Daphne. "Do you like Fred Jones? I noticed you staring at him."

Daphne blushed, embarrassed at being caught. "Um, no, I don't. I just thought it was weird to find him in here. I mean, really, Fred doesn't strike me as the type of guy who likes reading."

Velma giggled. "I know what you mean. Believe it or not, Fred's actually really smart and he's different than all the other meat-headed jerks on the football team. Even though he acts like a tremendous flirt all the time, I think that it's just an act so he'll fit in with his friends."

Daphne raised her eyebrows suggestively. "You sound like you know an awful lot about him. Velma, do _you_ like Fred Jones?"

Velma shook her head and giggled. "There is no way in hell that I'd ever like Fred Jones. He's not my type. I only know all that stuff about him because I'm pretty observant. But there is...someone else," she said, blushing and glancing in the direction of the scrawny boy Daphne had met during homeroom.

Daphne laughed. "Aw, Velma has a crush," she sang merrily, making sure to keep her voice low so Shaggy wouldn't overhear their conversation.

Velma's face flushed bright pink and she looked down at the floor. "Yeah, but he doesn't even know I exist."

Daphne's heart ached for the girl. "Well, we'll just have to change that. Go over there and ask him if he wants to sit with us. It looks like he could use the company."

Daphne watched as Velma nervously stood and walked toward Shaggy. The whole scene was so sweet that Daphne couldn't force herself to be mad at Fred for sitting at her table. He didn't say anything, or even look up. Instead, he seemed to be completely entranced by whatever novel he was reading. For a while Daphne watched him read. His eyes were twinkling with fascination and wonder, his lips were curled into a very small smile. This expression on him was far more attractive that the cocky, self-assured one he had worn before. Daphne's thoughts were pulled from this reflection as Shaggy and Velma made their way back over.

"Like, hey, Daphne," Shaggy greeted. "Hi, Fred." Fred didn't seem to hear him, so Shaggy repeated himself. Again, there was no response. "Fred?"

Finally the blonde lifted his head from the book and looked around him. "Did somebody say something?"

Everyone laughed, leaving Fred completely confused.

Daphne noticed that Velma and Shaggy were having a difficult time coming up with decent conversation. They sat side by side, awkwardly stealing glances at each other. To allow the two to have some form of communication, Daphne said, "Have you guys heard about this old house?" She was pointing at the picture in the book she had just opened.

Fred looked up immediately this time. "Oh yeah," he answered. "That place is really close to where I live."

"I'm right next door," Daphne responded, wondering just how close Fred was.

"Then you must be my new neighbor," the blonde mused. He didn't seem to be fully "there." His mind must still be with the book he had been reading.

Velma glanced at the story about the old mansion. "Jinkies! Get a load of this: that house was once owned by none other than Edward Sinclair!" Everyone merely stared at her lamely, not sure why this was significant in any way. "Edward Sinclair was a famous magician who used to live here," she explained. "He was a very rich man, though he never flaunted his wealth. Instead, he hid it somewhere inside the mansion. Then, in 1975, he vanished. It says here that Sinclair's ghost is said to still roam the halls of his old home, forever guarding the riches that he had acquired." A piece of newspaper slid out of the book. "What's this? Jinkies! It's an article about all the people that have reported sightings of Edward Sinclair's ghost over the past three years."

Shaggy gulped. "Zoinks!"

Daphne's eyes lit up with awe and mystery. "Wow, an actual haunted house right next door."

Fred saw the gleam in Daphne's eyes. He smiled. "Let's check it out!" he said, completley unaware of the drastic consequences of these four little words.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3 The Problem_

The four teenagers stood silently at the iron gate on the outskirts of Sinclair's property. Beside them, Scooby-Doo, Shaggy's talking dog, was panting loudly and complaining of hunger. None of the kids heard him, each too distracted with the present problem. A large lock hung at the gate, preventing any unwanted intruders from entering.

Suddenly, Daphne was struck with an idea. She pulled a bobby-pin out of her hair and inserted it into the lock.

"What are you doing?" Fred whispered harshly, as if someone would hear them.

Daphne looked up at him, annoyance written across her face. Was he really that idiotic? Did he honestly not know what she was doing? "I'm getting us inside."

Fred was about to protest when he realized how much Daphne wanted this. She seemed to be really eager for this adventure. Not wanting to disappoint her, he remained quiet as she opened the gate, permitting the group to enter.

"Zoinks!" Shaggy shouted, looking up toward a window on the second floor. Something about that particular spot had terrified him so much that he actually lept into Velma's arms. Realizing what he was doing, Shaggy nervously laughed and hopped down, feeling embarrassed.

"What was that all about?" Fred asked, staring at the spot that had frightened his scrawny friend.

"L-like, I saw something up there," Shaggy explained. "I swear there was a person, like, watching us. A real scary-looking dude."

Fred nodded, though he honestly believed that the boy's mind was playing tricks on him. He led the group to the front door, ready to push it open. This was unnecessary, for the door slowly swung out, creaking all the while, looking as if someone had been expecting them.

"Like, zoinks!" Shaggy cried. Beside him, Scooby whimpered. "This is, like, totally what happens in horror movies. The unsuspecting teenagers go in, but they, like, never come back out." His voice cracked with fear, making him sound close to hysterics.

Fred ignored him. "Let's have a look around. Daphne and I will go upstairs while you three search down here." Seeing Daphne's stern expression, he faltered. "Or, um, I guess I could go with Shaggy and you girls could take Scooby?"

Daphne thought that the second option was much more appealing, though one look at Velma's pleading face changed her mind. Daphne sighed. "No, whatever, it's fine," she mumbled, climbing up the stairs quickly, leaving Fred behind.

He hurried after her, utterly confused. "Wait, I thought you hated me. Why'd you agree to be my partner?" He followed Daphne into what appeared to be an old bedroom. It never occurred to him that this particular room would be odd in a house that was only owned by a man.

"I thought Shaggy and Velma needed a little 'alone time,'" Daphne told him distantly, distracted as she searched through the area. "This is odd," she said softly, more to herself than Fred. Everything was coated in a thick layer of dust after being uninhabited for quite some time. The really strange part was that, when she looked in the wardrobe, she discovered tattered dresses, very elegant in their day, now reduced to ruins. A worn picture was resting on the bedside table. It was in black and white, of a man and a woman, obviously in love. She sighed sadly, feeling horrible for intruding upon the memories of the young couple. Daphne walked toward the nearby window. She looked outside to see a lonely cross, no doubt marking someone's grave. This also brought her heart-breaking grief. She thought of the last grave she had been to - her mothers. Had this deceased person had any children? Where were they now?

"What is all of this?" Fred asked, clueless, looking at the clothes that were hung up. "Why would a guy need dresses?"

Daphne fought the urge to laugh. "Oh, Fred, they weren't for Sinclair. A woman was living here as well." Daphne's tone changed from teasing to an ancient longing. "They were in love." She shook her head. "The woman died and Sinclair disappeared. It doesn't seem fair."

Fred stared at her, utterly confused. "How do you know all of that?"

Daphne smiled sadly. This whole room was coated in a long-forgotten depression that she seemed to channel. "This photograph," she told him, holding it up. "You can see it in their eyes - they loved each other. There's a grave outside in the backyard. Since Sicnlair's body was never found, I'm assuming it was this woman's."

The pain and longing in Daphne's eyes made Fred's heart ache. She looked so vulnerable, so innocent. He cleared his throat while thinking of something to say, though no words came to mind. Instead, he watched her gently place the picture back where it had been resting. Her movements were slow and apologetic, as if wishing to leave the room and it's memories undisturbed. He fought the overwhelming urge to comfort her in some way, staying rooted in his spot silently.

Daphne looked up at him, wondering why he wouldn't speak to her. She tried to erase the thoughts of what this woman would have gone through at the loss of a loved one. Daphne, of course, knew how this felt, and the familiar tightness in her throat and pain in her chest grew stronger with each passing second. Daphne closed her eyes for a moment, opening them only when she felt confident that she had returned to normal. "Alright, well, there's nothing of interest in here, so let's go."

"Right," Fred responded lamely, still analyzing Daphne's every move. He noticed the flicker of annoyance cross her face when she realized that he wasn't moving toward the exit. "Right," he repeated, waling toward the door. Before he could reach it, however, it swung shut. Confused, Fred grasped the doorknob, but it would not turn. He pulled and tugged and twisted, but all to no avail. The door simply would not open.

"Fred, what's going on?" Daphne asked, looking at him expectantly.

Fred bit his lip. "The door won't open. We're trapped," he told her simply, fear in his voice.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4 The Consequences_

"What do you mean?" Daphne asked, fright creeping into her voice. "How can we be trapped? Who would be there to trap us?"

Fred made his way over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder, though she swatted it away in a fit of annoyance. "Don't worry, Daphne, we'll find a way out. I promise," he told her soothingly. "Let's just try the window. If we can open it, we can yell outside for help."

As Fred went over toward the window, Daphne sat down on the bed, taking deep, calming breaths. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw something scurry across the floor, but soon dismissed this as a figment of imagination.

"It's no use," Fred told her dejectedly. "The window won't budge."

Suddenly, a clear, feminine voice rang through the room. "Fred Jones and Daphne Blake," it said. "Take your friends and leave at once. Never intrude in this house again, or you will pay dearly. Now, go, never to disturb these memories again." The voice was hauntingly beautiful, though the threat was not to be handled lightly.

The door sprung open and the two teens bolted out, sprinting down the stairs and crashing right into their friends. Quick explanations were exchanged and the group ran out of the house, shaking with fear and excitment, not willing to give up this adventure.

"We need to figure out what's in there and why it wants us to leave," Velma informed the others.

Fred smiled, his eyes glowing with anticipation. "Well, gang, it looks like we've got a mystery on our hands."

The next day, Shaggy, Velma and Daphne sat together at lunch, discussing their plans.

"So, it's agreed," Velma said proudly. "We're going back to the mansion after school."

Shaggy gulped, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Like, why can't we leave that thing alone? I, like, don't want to go back and poke around."

Velma frowned as she thought over this option. "If we didn't have this mystery holding us together, I'd probably never get to see you guys. I'm glad that we're investigating."

Shaggy sighed. "Well, if you put it that way, I guess this whole thing, like, isn't that bad."

This comment brought a smile to Velma's face. She was happy that Shaggy at least wanted to have her in his life, even if it was just as friends. Velma looked over at Daphne. The red-head was glaring daggers at Fred, who had not come to join them for lunch. Instead, the blonde sat at a table with his jock friends, his head hung low, not speaking a word to anyone. Obviously, Daphne was angry at him for submitting to peer pressure and not having the guts to dismiss his regular group to join people who actually enjoyed his company, like her, Velma and Shaggy.

Velma was about to say something to her new friend, though she decided not too, thinking that Daphne and Fred needed to work out their issues on their own.

Later that day, everyone met up once more outside the rusted iron gate. Before they could once again enter the property, they became aware that an old woman was approaching them, her knotted gray hair pulled back into a ponytail. She wore loose clothes and sandals, though it was the middle of winter.

"Oh, dearies, you weren't thinking of going into that old place, were you?" she said to them. "That house is very haunted. I saw it myself just last year."

Velma looked at the woman curiously. "What else can you tell us about that place?"

"Well, Mr. Sinclair used to live their with Margaret White. Oh, they were such a nice couple, so in love with each other. They were engaged when it was announced that Margaret was pregnant. She had a little boy, Peter, but she died while giving birth. It was so sad. The poor man lost the love of his life. He became depressed and started doing extremely dangerous tricks with his magic. One day, he was just gone. Not a trace of him anywhere. Peter, bless his little soul, had to grow up there on his own. He became a fine young man, but left soon after his twenty-first birthday. A few years ago, he came back. Even bought a property right up the road." The woman shook her head. "I would suggest you go talk to him if you're interested in this old house. Poor dear. It's such a tragedy that he lost his parents at such a young age. And his mother and father were so madly in love. I suppose it's no wonder that he couldn't live without her in his life." The old lady sighed sadly.

Velma smiled. "Thank you very much."

As soon as the old woman was out of sight, the gang rushed up through the gate and into the house. Once again, the door opened for them automatically, as if some ghostly presence had sensed their arrival.

"Alright," Fred said. "Let's split up and look for clues. This time, Daphne and I will look around down here. Shaggy, Velma and Scooby, you three go upstairs and see what you can find." As soon as the trio was out of earshot, he turned to Daphne who was decidedly facing away from him. "Daphne, listen, I'm sorry about lunch today." She gave no response. Daphne had been feeling particularly generous and had asked if Fred wanted to eat lunch with her and the others. He had been around his friends at that time, feeling the need to impress them. So, instead of sitting with the people he actually liked, he had ended up miserable, stuck at a table full of jocks. "I'm really, really sorry."

Daphne spun on her heel, a fire in her ice cold eyes. "You know what? It's fine. I should've expected as much coming from you." To prevent him from responding, she added, "Can we just look for clues?"

Fred ran his hand through his hair, regretting everything. He wanted to kick himself for being so stupid. This girl, the girl that was - for some odd reason - fascinating to him, also was the one girl in all of Coolsville that saw through his charm and looks, right down to his personality. The only problem was that he wasn't sure if his personality was good enough for her. That, more than anything, was something that often caused him to experience a deep sense of longing and hopelessness.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Shaggy and Velma were getting along much better than their friends. Scooby, who had trotted out of the room in search of a snack, had winked at his owner as he left. This had caused Shaggy to blush, knowing that his dog was smart enough to understand the attraction that bonded the two awkward teens.

"So, um, Velma," Shaggy began nervously. "We'll still be, like, friends after this is all done, right?"

The brunette smiled. "Of course," she responded.

Shaggy gulped. He rubbed the back of his neck in an anxious manner. "Alright, cool. Um, so, do you, like, want to hang out this weekend or something?" he mumbled, his cheeks red and his eyes glued to a spot on the carpet. "I mean, it's totally cool if you don't want to, but I thought that we could, like, go to a movie or something."

It took Velma a moment to respond. She furrowed her brow, confused by his motives for saying this. Was there any way that he could possibly feel the same way about her as she did about him? Velma quickly cleared her mind of these thoughts. Going to a movie with a friend was completely acceptable, not having to mean anything more. Still, it was a start. Having Shaggy as a friend would be better than not having him at all. "Yeah, of course, I'd love to," she answered, half of her hoping that he would be able to detect the hint of longing and affection in her voice.

All of a sudden, the whole house seemed to rumble as a deep voice spoke, loud and angry. "You were told to leave at once. You were fairly warned that consequences would arise if you did not heed this command. So, since you have blatantly disregarded my wishes, you shall be stuck here, never to escape." With that, the low voice chuckled, as if the speaker somehow found amusement in the terrified faces of the teens.

Shaggy ran to the door, pushing, pulling, and shoving. Velma did the same with the window, only to find that they truly were locked in that room. In the distance, Shaggy swore he could hear faint sounds of a dog whimpering and scratching at wood, trying in vain to leave.


	5. Chapter 5

Hi, guys! I'm sorry that this story hasn't been updated in a _super_ long time. The truth is, I sort of forgot that I had this one. But, I have some free time right now, so I'm going to be giving you the next chapter. Thank you to ChellaRose who reminded me that I need to update some of my stories.

_Chapter 5 The Clue_

Daphne groaned and sat down with her back against a bookcase. She and Fred had entered the library right before the whole house locked up. Obviously, whatever was in here really wanted them out. Unfortunately, this meant that she had to be alone with Fred, the one person she was currently furious at. After ditching her at lunch so he could sit with his friends, he had tried to apologize, though she had been so hurt that one apology didn't seem like enough.

Of course, Fred could never understand that this whole issue was the last thing Daphne wanted to talk about. So, being the clueless boy he was, he said, "Look, Daphne, I'm really, really sorry about what happened earlier today. I'm just really not good with the whole peer pressure thing."

"Whatever," she mumbled. She was truly mad at herself more than Fred. Daphne was unsure why she could possibly allow this stranger to have such control over her emotions. She had been crushed when he decided to act as though she didn't exist. And, in Daphne's mind, this weakness was simply unacceptable.

Fred sat down next to Daphne, though he made sure to keep a good distance between them in case she tried to attack him or something. "I was wrong," he admitted in a low voice. "Sitting with those jerks is a bad idea, and from now on I'll stop caring what they think, and I'll sit with whoever I want." Fred took a breath and ran his hand through his hair. Was that what she wanted him to say? Or did he make things worse again? Why couldn't she just forgive him? Couldn't she see that he was trying to become the person she wanted him to be? Fred let out a sigh. He probably could have been great friends with Daphne by now, but he had gone to sit with the popular guys rather than his actual friends. "I'm sorry."

This was not the first time Fred had apologized, but now the words felt real. Daphne knew he truly was sorry. "It's okay," she told him, making direct eye contact for the first time in a while. "But if you ever do something like that again, I'll cut your balls off while you sleep."

Fred laughed at her little threat, but one look at her expression told him that she wasn't kidding. "Oh," he said, clearing his throat.

After that, the room slipped into silence, though it wasn't at all awkward. Both teens began reflecting on the events of the past few days.

Daphne never imagined that moving to Ohio could ever be so exciting. She'd made some great friends, and now they were knee-deep in an unsolved mystery. Two weeks ago, Daphne would never imagine that such an adventure could be her life. And now she was sitting next to the most attractive guy she'd ever seen in her life, and he had just spent the whole day trying to apologize to her. It seemed like some sort novel or story rather than reality. Of course, if it _was_ a story, then she would probably end up with Fred in the end. They'd go walking off into the sunset, hand-in-hand. The whole scene would be so romantic. _Whoa, _Daphne thought, shocked at herself for thinking like this. _That could never happen between me and Fred. He probably hates me right now for making him feel bad about the lunch situation. _She sighed sadly. _But if I know this won't work out between the two of us, why do I still want that happy ending with him?_

Meanwhile, Fred's thoughts had taken a similar path. He was wondering what attracted him to Daphne. In the beginning, it had been purely her looks. He had thought she was hot when they met, but now he understood that she could only be described as beautiful - so, so very beautiful. And she didn't seem to care what others thought of her. She was strongly against submitting to peer pressure, which was something that most high school students couldn't say. Even though they'd only known each other for a short time, Fred was already willing to change for her. He wouldn't change his personality, or his appearance, or anything like that. Instead, he would change by ignoring what his jock-friends said. He would hang out with whoever he wanted to, not caring whether that would diminish his popularity. He would allow his independence, his true character, to shine out now. And all of this modification was occurring because of one girl. But she was worth it. She was worth losing popularity, losing his so-called friends. _I really hope she'll give me a chance once I slide down to the bottom of the food chain,_ he thought. _Daphne has got to be the most amazing person on the face of the earth. She'd never give me a chance, not when she can do so much better. _Fred emitted a dejected sigh.

Daphne was about to ask what was wrong, but she was interrupted by something both strange and terrifying.

Where there had been nothing but empty space before, there were two figures, a man and a woman. The two of them were pale and faded, just like an old photograph. Instead of being solid and substantial, these apparitions were slightly transparent. Their apparel was out-dated, and the woman's arm was wrapped around the man's.

At the sight of the ghosts, Daphne nearly jumped into Fred's lap. She buried her face in his chest, hiding her eyes. Fred wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, giving Daphne a strange feeling of protection, despite the ghoulish guests.

"Wh-what do you want?" Fred asked, his voice quivering slightly no matter how strong he was trying to sound.

There was no response. The ghosts did not move, or speak, or even blink. They just remained there, floating a few feet off the ground, staring seriously at the two cowering teens. After what seemed like ages, the man lifted his hand and drew a letter in the air with his finger. _P. _The letter burned in the air for a moment, a faint orange glow outlining it.

While Fred and Daphne were focusing on the_ P_ etched into the emptiness of the room, the man and the woman slowly began to fade away, until there was nothing left.

"Wait!" Fred called to them, as if the apparitions could still hear him.

"It's no use," Daphne told him. "They're gone."

"Who were they?"

"And what the hell does 'P' mean?"


End file.
